A Christmas to Remember
by trishpip
Summary: Henry and Betty may only ever get this one Christmas together and Henry wants to make sure it's one to remember. HenryBetty love and angst.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Christmas Shopping

December 2007

It's a crazy time to live in Manhattan, when people come in to town by the busloads for a weekend of shopping and theater going. A young man, trying to run out and find just the right gift for his girl, could get trampled in a place like this. To make matters worse, Henry is at a loss. There's only one thing that he can even think of buying for Betty this Christmas, and he knows she won't accept it. Every time he tries to run the scenario in his head, it has an unhappy ending. For whatever it's worth, he has to go home to Tucson in a few months and Betty has to stay here in New York. He wouldn't dream of asking her to leave her family and her dreams of becoming a magazine editor; it wouldn't be fair. No, he can't stop in at Tiffany's or Bendel's or any of the tiny tucked away shops in the diamond district, no matter how tempting the idea. So, then, why is he here again, looking longingly into the window of Bachman Fine Jewelers like a kid at a pet store? He's smart, creative, there has to be something else that would be the perfect Christmas gift – if he could just re-focus his attention…

"Excuse me, is there something I can help you find?" A friendly looking man stepped out from the doorway of the shop, "Only, I think I've seen you standing by my window several times this week."

"No, it's okay, just... window-shopping I guess," Henry smiled.

"Ah, wrestling with the Big Decision, I think," the man laughed. "I'm Max Bachman, why don't you come inside from the cold and tell me all about it?"

"No offense, Mr. Bachman, I would like nothing better than to relieve you of that sparkly stone right there," Henry pointed, "but the lady in question... well, it's complicated."

"Of course it is, of course, if it were easy, it wouldn't be love, am I right? But come on in, I must have something here that will take the worry and the stress out of your holiday shopping! After all, what girl can resist something beautiful handed to her in a bright blue jewelry box?"

Henry smiled again and decided to follow Mr. Bachman into the store. So, it wouldn't be an engagement ring but maybe he could still find what he's looking for here.

"Thank you, Mr. Bachman, I hate to seem so helpless. It's just; I've never bought jewelry for a woman before. Well, unless you count the turquoise and silver necklace I bought for my mom at the reservation trading post when I was a kid. It turned out that the metal wasn't really silver and it left a weird stain on her neck that didn't come off for weeks," Henry shook his head at the memory, "Mom said she loved it, though. And she still has it hanging in a frame on her wall, so I guess it wasn't all that bad. As long as she doesn't, you know, wear it..."

"Right, right, yes, well maybe we'll call this a more informed trek into jewelry shopping. You look like the kind of guy who reads, you could probably tell me more about color and clarity than I could tell you."

Henry's smile slipped a little, "I'll admit I've been reading about diamonds. But Betty and I aren't looking that far into the future yet."

"Okay then, tell me about your Betty. Does she like pretty things? When is her birthday? Maybe you could look into a birthstone piece."

"Betty's jewelry? I've really only seen her wear one necklace. Her parents gave it to her for her quinceanera and I don't think she's gone a day without it since. I think it reminds her of her Mom."

"So maybe we find something nice to go along with that, a ring or a bracelet she would wear alongside the necklace everyday? What does it look like?"

"Well, actually," Henry laughed self-consciously, "you can tell I've been reading again… it's a replica of Anne Boleyn's necklace, with the 'B' and teardrop pearls."

"Interesting choice, especially given her fate, but at least that gives me a very clear image to work with. Pearls, hmm, and yellow gold… let's see..."

Max Bachman opened a small book of jewelry design and he and Henry put their heads together to plan Betty's Christmas gift.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Christmas Eve

Betty and Henry both had to work Monday, even though it was Christmas Eve. A big magazine like Mode couldn't afford to be closed down for four days in a row, no matter what the reason. So, everyone who hadn't jetted off to Aruba (in other words, anyone whose name wasn't Meade) came in for the morning to make sure that all was prepared for the Book meeting that would take up most of the day on Wednesday. Henry was at his desk finalizing the budget when his phone rang.

"Grubstick," he answered absently, his eyes on the numbers on the screen in front of him.

"Mom? Mom, remember we decided I was staying in New York this Christmas, Betty and I only have..."

"What? Mom, hold on, tell me what's going on out there."

"Okay, Mom, okay, let me see what I can do. I'll call you back when I have my flight plans. Stop crying Mom, I'll be there soon. Let me hang up and I'll call the airline. Okay, bye Mom, I love you too, I'll call you right back."

Hanging up the phone, Henry sat stunned for a moment until his screen saver popped up with pictures of Betty smiling at him.

"Oh God," No time for Betty, though, he had to call the airline. Okay, he had to let her know what's happening, then call the airline. Quickly he punched in the number for her desk.

"Merry Christmas," she answered cheerfully, "this is Betty Suarez!"

"Betty, emergency, I have to go to Tucson today. Charlie is in the hospital. She was in a car accident and suffered massive head trauma. The doctors aren't sure if she'll survive. They might have to deliver the baby today!"

"Henry! Okay, sweetie, breathe. Don't panic. Do you have any of your baby books in your desk?"

"Yes, I have _What to Expect_..."

"Okay, open it up and read about what's going on this week. I'll call Janet in Travel and I'll meet you at your desk in five minutes. Five minutes!"

Five minutes later, Betty ran into Henry's office, out of breath. Henry sat with his knees pulled up to his chest, near tears.

"His eyes are developed, but won't open for two more weeks. There's more than a fifty percent survival rate, but there will be complications... not enough lung development, possible brain damage…"

"Okay honey, it's okay, you're going to fly direct - JFK to Tucson, leaving at 1:00. That gives you about an hour to get home and get some things packed up. Do you want me to help you?"

"No, no, I can take care of it. Let me call my mom and let her know when I'll be there. Oh god, Betty. It's Christmas, I don't want to leave you, but I can't stay here while..."

"Of course not, Henry, it's your baby. I don't want you to worry about me at all. In fact… this might be a bad idea and I can cancel it if you don't want me, but… I had Janet reserve two tickets for Tucson this afternoon."

"Two? You want to come to Tucson with me?"

"I want to be there for you, to hold your hand in the waiting room. I don't want you to have to go through this on your own."

"Betty," Henry said, dropping his feet back down to the floor and pulling her into his lap, "have I told you lately how wonderful you are? Yes, I would love to have you there beside me."

"Great, call your mom and tell her to make up the spare bed. I guess we both have some packing to do!"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

In Transit

Sitting on the airplane preparing for take-off, Henry remembered very clearly the last time he was in this exact position. Charlie had been seated next to him and she had taken his hand as the plane taxied. He remembered feeling so defeated by fate, so torn between what he wanted and what he had to do. Now he's in flight again, but this time the hand in his is Betty's. Strange to think that hands could be so different. Charlie's hand in his had been seeking reassurance, trying to take love that he didn't have to give. Betty had reached for him instead to give comfort, to show her dedication, offering him love without any expectation. This was exactly why he'd been so torn up that morning when he was standing outside of Bachman's store window. The last few weeks with Betty had been so right, he wasn't ready for them to end. He'd never be ready for that.

"Henry, you're a million miles away."

"No, I'm right here beside you. I just went deep for a minute. Betty, there's something I want to give you before we get to Arizona. I'm afraid that once we're there, things will be so crazy that everyone will forget about Christmas. This crowded flight might be the last sane alone time we get," Henry gulped, trying very hard not to add the word "ever" to that statement.

"Christmas presents? I didn't even think about that, Henry, yours is packed in my bag. Why don't we wait until we can exchange gifts later?"

"I have something for later, too, but I wanted to give you this while we still have some privacy. I love my Mom and everything, but I swear the woman can hear me whisper three streets away, and if she sees this, she might jump to conclusions," Henry said as he pulled a small ring box from his pocket.

Betty's eyes went wide as she did a quick conclusion-jump of her own, "Henry, no, it's..."

"It isn't. Betty, I wanted it to be, but it isn't. See?" He opened the box to reveal a gold ring set with two pearls surrounded by tiny sparkling diamonds. "Mr. Bachman said it had to be an original, just like you are." Smiling, he slipped it onto the ring finger of her right hand.

"Oh, Henry, it's perfect! It goes with my Boleyn necklace, too!"

"Funny thing about that Anne Boleyn, did you know she was secretly engaged to a man named Henry Percy before she married King Henry VIII?" Henry smiled, "Just something I know..."

"That is pretty funny," Betty grinned, "there never was a Willy or a Sam…?"

Henry laughed, "Great, as if I haven't had that song stuck in my head for the past 25 years!" He took Betty's hand again and squeezed it, "Only you could have me laughing at a time like this. If I didn't already love you for everything else you are, that in itself would be enough to get me through the next 70 years or so."

"Henry…"

"I know, believe me, I know. I have no right to say that, but it's the truth and you need to hear it. All this stuff with Charlie is my fault, my responsibility and I'm going to take it head-on. But if my heart were free, I'd take you away and marry you so fast, your head would spin."

"Henry, I…"

"And we'd live in New York so that you could become a big time journalist and I could be your financial advisor, and we'd have a bunch of kids and you'd teach them how to make tamales and I'd teach them how to make cashew chicken and we'd take them to the museum of Natural History on Saturdays, and we'd turn into one of those old couples who cherish each other just as much at 90 as they did at 30."

"Henry, dammit, let me talk. Don't you think I want that? Don't you know that's exactly what I'd like to be doing every day for the rest of our lives, together? But that isn't reality. Reality is that you're going to have a hell of a mess on your hands in Tucson, a baby who could be extremely premature and needy, and God only knows what else. And reality, Henry, is that I love you and I will be here for you no matter what, no matter how long it takes. My heart isn't free either, because for the past year it's been in your hands."

Henry pulled Betty into his arms and the couple exchanged a deep and very meaningful kiss. With the future so uncertain and the present a little shaky, they both knew that they only had the strength of their love to get them through. Luckily, love is a powerful entity when those who love believe that it can overpower any adversity. Whatever tragedy and misfortune might be waiting when they land in Tucson, they would face it together.


	4. Chapter 4

"This is your captain speaking. We are now approaching the Tucson International Airport, where the weather is sunny and warm on this Christmas Eve day. If your watch is set for New York, you may way to adjust it back a few hours. Currently, it's 72 degrees at 4:56 Tucson time. I hope that everyone had a pleasant flight and I wish you a happy holiday in the city of the Old Pueblo."

With that, Betty and Henry sat up a little bit and shook themselves from the dreamland they'd been snuggling in since leaving New York. Henry smiled as he thought to himself that this might be the first flight in which he didn't notice that the seating in coach wasn't really designed for his long legs, didn't have to wiggle around to find the part of the seat that didn't pop a spring in his bottom, didn't fumble with the tray and spill soda all over his pant-leg. Altogether, it was a very enjoyable flight.

"Look out the window, Betty, that's Tucson." The cityscape lay out before them, towers and office buildings that seemed to rise above a flat brown background of desert sand.

"Wow, I guess I never thought of Tucson as a city. I had pictures in my mind of tumbleweeds and, you know, cactus. Vaqueros on horseback singing about the old dusty trail."

Henry laughed, "I thought as much – to a girl growing up in New York, the rest of the country must seem like a small town. But don't worry, there are singing cowboys here as well. I'll have to make a point of finding one for you."

There was a dinging sound as a voice came over the public address system, "The captain has turned on the seatbelt sign as we prepare to land in Tucson. Please wait to switch on your electronic and cellular devices until after the airplane has landed."

Within moments the wheels of the plane touched down on the tarmac and all around the plane there were sounds of phones being switched back on. Somewhat reluctantly, Henry turned his on as well. As long as they were in the air and out of reach, it felt as if they were in a sort of limbo from what Betty had referred to as the reality that was waiting at the other end. Not too bad, only three messages from his mom in the past 6 hours.

"_Henry, it's Mom, just wanted to let you know there's an update from the hospital, Charlie's still in surgery and they say the baby is best off where he is, inside, for now."_

"_Hi Henry, Mom again, I'll be there at the airport to pick you up, so you don't have to worry about finding a cab or anything. I'll see you then."_

"_Henry, don't you know it's okay to keep the cell-phone on during the flight, you only need to turn it off for take-off and landing. Anyway, I wasn't sure if you'd want to come home first or go straight to the hospital when you get here. I guess I'll wait and ask you when you arrive. See you soon, son!"_

"Mom is a bundle of nerves. What do you think, Betty, home or hospital as the first stop?"

"I guess that depends on the latest report from the hospital – if the situation is desperate, you had better get there as soon as you can."

Henry nodded, "Makes sense, let's find out what's going on." He punched in the code for information and asked for the number for Northwestern Medical Center. A minute later he was talking to the surgical nurse. "Grubstick, Henry Grubstick. Well, not exactly related, I'm the father of... yes. Okay. Hmm, I see. Thank you."

"Interesting, they're not allowed to give me information as I am not on the list Charlie's father gave them. I wonder how my mom seems to know what's going on."

"Well, we'll see her in a minute and then we'll ask her for ourselves," Betty gulped, "I know this is no time to be thinking of myself, but I have to admit I'm nervous about meeting your mother."

Henry smiled and pulled her close for a quick hug. "You don't need to worry about my mother at all. One look at that smile and she'll fall head over heels in love with you, just like I did."

Taking her hand, Henry led Betty through the concourse to the greeting area. Among those waiting stood a tall, thin, fashionably dressed woman with a short brunette hairstyle. "There she is," Henry pointed, "Mom, over here!"

The tall woman turned toward Henry and a bright smile transformed what would have been considered a handsome face into a beautiful one.

"Sweetheart, thank goodness!" She hurried over to Henry and gave him a warm hug. "This has been the most nerve-wracking day of my life, you have no idea!"

Pulling away, she smiled a little less brightly and said, "Now introduce me to your pretty little friend."

Henry cleared his throat, "Mom, this is Betty Suarez. Betty, my mom."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Grubstick, Henry has told me so much about you," Betty smiled and reached out to shake her hand.

"Please dear, it's Lillian, I'm afraid I never have been _Mrs_. Grubstick. Of course I've been hearing about you as well, and it's lovely to have a face to match to a name after all this time. And despite what Charlie's told me, you seem like a very pleasant young lady."

"_Charlie_'s told you…"

"Mom, when did you talk to Charlie?"

"Well Henry, of course I've been talking to Charlie for months now. Here she is, pregnant and alone, with no mother to turn to at a time like this. And if there's anyone who understands what she's going through, it's me."

Henry adjusted his glasses. "I suppose that's true, but maybe later you and I should have a talk and sort out the things she's been telling you."

"Oh, don't fuss Henry, I know jealousy when I hear it. Now let's go collect your things, and then I suspect you'll be wanting to check on Charlie's progress."

As they walked together to the baggage carousels, Betty took a deep breath and made another attempt at conversation.

"I'm glad you've been here for Charlie, Lillian, I didn't realize that she didn't have a mom here in Tucson. I guess they must have put you on the contact list, but they left Henry off, so he couldn't get any updates from the hospital."

"Well, no, the contact list is for family only. I've been getting all my updates from James, Charlie's father."

"That's great! I guess you must be old friends..."

Lillian smiled softly, "Well, no, I'd say we're more like new friends. I started to reach out to Charlie after Henry went back to New York because I want her to feel comfortable with me. I'll be her child's only grandmother, after all, and I want her to feel she can turn to me for advice and for the occasional childcare needs. So, I invited her to dinner – but every time I asked she told me that she didn't want to leave her father alone. So finally I called him and invited him to dinner as well." She smiled again, "They've been joining me for Sunday dinners ever since. I must say I've become quite attached to both of them."

"I think you're going to be a wonderful grandmother, Lillian. Look how well you did with Henry." She smiled at the sight of her sweet boyfriend helping an elderly woman retrieve her bags from the carousel. "I don't think I've ever met anyone as naturally caring and thoughtful as he is."

"Isn't that funny, Betty, that's exactly what Henry said about you when he first described you to me last Christmas." Lillian smiled fondly at her son, "And I told him then that you sounded like just the right kind of girl for him. Of course, that was before all of this baby business came up with Charlie. I must say I thought I raised him to be more careful about birth control issues… but then I suppose it's true that accidents happen."

Betty agreed and then segued, "Speaking of accidents, have you heard anything new about how Charlie is doing?"

Lillian nodded, "I talked to James again as I was waiting for you and Henry to de-plane. Here he comes now with the luggage, so I can update you both." To Henry, she said, "I was just telling Betty that I spoke to James right before you arrived. He says that Charlie is out of surgery now, but she's in a state of coma. The doctors are somewhat optimistic that she'll come out of it, but they aren't sure how long it will take."

Henry nodded stiffly, "And the baby…?"

"The baby's vitals are all normal inside his mother's womb – as long as that remains true, they won't want to perform a caesarian section. Apparently that would be dangerous to both the baby and to Charlie."

Henry released a breath he was almost unaware he'd been holding. "Okay, but I guess I still want to hear that for myself. Do you mind if we head over to the hospital first?"

"Of course, darling, that was what I expected you to say. Ready Betty?"

Betty smiled at Lillian, "Ready, and I'm looking forward to meeting your friend James."

Henry looked from Betty to his mother and asked, "Mom… who is this James?"


	5. Chapter 5

**_A/N Continuing from Chapter 4, we left off with Betty, Henry and Lillian Grubstick leaving the Tucson International Airport. Of course, these characters are completely fictional, I don't own Henry, Betty or Charlie, as they are the intellectual property of the TV show Ugly Betty._**

"So, Mom, who is this James you keep mentioning…?"

"Henry, you know who James is – James Payne, Charlie's father."

"No, Mom, Charlie's father is Jim-Bob," He turned to Betty, "The Carpet King himself – Jim-Bob Payne, his prices are insane! Charlie always wished he'd stop doing his own commercials because it was just about as bad as it sounds."

Lillian sniffed, "Well, I suppose one or two things may have changed since the last time you were home, Henry."

"Maybe so, Mom. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."

Betty, thinking a little clarity might be helpful, said, "Your mom was telling me that she and Mr. Payne have become good friends over the past few months. He and Charlie have been sharing Sunday dinners at your Mom's house since September."

"No, Mom, I guess you forgot to mention that _every Sunday night_ when I'd call to see how you were doing. I guess my stories of New York were so exciting that your Sunday dinners just slipped your mind."

"Henry George Grubstick, there is no call for you to be sarcastic with me. I suggest you drop that tone of voice immediately."

"Yes Mother," Henry said automatically, making Betty giggle a little.

"Isn't it amazing how our parents can reduce us to repentant toddlers with one well aimed glare? My dad does it to me all the time!"

Twin Grubstick grins flashed at Betty from the front seat of Lillian's SUV and the occupants of the car fell silent as they drove toward the Northwest Medical Center.

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Several hours later, Henry and Betty snuggled together on the patio swing outside his mother's home.

"What a night – I can't tell you how relieved I am that the baby is going to be okay."

"And it was so sweet to see, Henry, your mother is in love."

"What? With Jim-Bob? No, she's just being friendly."

"Well, there's friendly and then there's _friendly_. Believe me, when those two were in the waiting room, they only had eyes for each other. Seriously, you didn't notice?"

"Ah Betty, you're just being a romantic. I didn't see anything more than my Mom in helpful mother mode."

Betty nodded, "And Jim-Bob leaning on her for support."

"She's very supportive."

Betty nodded again, "And Jim-Bob looking at her like she was a hot-fudge sundae on a warm afternoon."

"She _is_ very sweet."

"Okay, and Lillian looking at Jim-Bob, I mean James, as if he were King of the World instead of just the carpet."

"Nope, just my Mom and Charlie's Dad… well, okay, maybe there was something more than friendly going on."

"Thank you for opening your eyes! And for that, you get a Christmas present!" Betty grinned and produced as small package from under her blouse.

Henry smiled back at her and quickly opened his box. "Cufflinks!"

"I know, not very exciting, but I was thinking that you wear those long sleeved shirts all the time at work, and I thought a little bling might snazz them up a bit. Look, they've got little dollar signs engraved in them."

Henry grinned, "I'll be the envy of the entire accounting department. Now tell me, what else do you have hidden under that shirt?"

"I don't know, maybe you'll have to find out for yourself!"

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In the kitchen, Lillian smiled at the sound Betty's giggles and Henry's deeper laughs coming in through the patio doors. She knew that Betty was someone special by the tone in her son's voice every time he spoke of her, and now that she'd seen her for herself she could relax – Henry had found the right girl. Now it was up to Lillian to make sure he'd be able to stay with her.

She felt her cellular phone vibrate in her pocket and checked to see who was calling. James again. She smiled as she answered, "Hello Handsome, how are things at the hospital?"

_"There are no changes, darlin'. The doctor is sendin' me home, as he says there's nothing I can do by stayin' here. Charlie is as stable as she's gonna get for a while, and no amount of my hauntin' the waitin' room is gonna wake her up before she's ready."_

"Well, that sounds like good advice – you were looking pretty tired when I saw you earlier."

_"Huh, and that was after the sight of you perked me up more'n a little bit. Have you told him yet?"_

"No… I think it's something we need to tell him together. How do you feel about coming over in the morning for Christmas breakfast?"

"_I suppose I can do that. What time?"_

"Well, they're probably tired from all that traveling… let's make it a brunch at 11:00."

_"Yes, ma'am, I'll be there with Jingle Bells on."_

"And I expect to see you looking well-rested, James, so you go on home and get yourself a good night sleep."

_"I'll do my best, sugar, but I don't know how well I'll sleep without my little Lily-pad to keep me warm."_

"James Payne, how you do go on," Lillian said, fighting the oddest instinct to _giggle_. Just when did she become a giggler? "I'll see you in the morning, sweetheart."

_"G'night sugar."_

"Who are you going to see in the morning, Mom?"

Lillian looked up, surprised to see Henry and Betty standing in the kitchen. Damn, she thought they'd be out canoodling on the patio for hours.

"Oh, Henry, Betty," she stammered, "I just invited James Payne to join us for brunch tomorrow morning. The man shouldn't have to spend Christmas alone, you know…"

"Mom, what's going on?" Henry's voice sounded stern now, but Betty interrupted.

"Lillian, you are absolutely right. No one should be alone on Christmas! Well, I'm bushed. Henry, don't you think it's just about bedtime? It's been a really long day."

"Okay, Betty, I get it. But Mom, we are going to talk in the morning."

Lillian nodded at her son, "Yes dear, we'll definitely talk in the morning."


	6. Chapter 6

Christmas morning found Henry, Betty, Lillian and Jim-Bob seated around a table in Lillian Grubstick's dining room, amid a brunch spread large enough to feed another ten people. Henry sat stiffly in his seat and picked at the huevos rancheros that were turning cold and slimy on his plate. Of the four, only Betty seemed to have any appetite for breakfast at all, and she was, admittedly, a nervous eater.

"That's it, Mom, you can't expect me to eat eggs and listen to Christmas music and pretend that there's nothing unusual going on. Will you please just come out with whatever it is you've obviously got to say and get it over with?"

Jim-Bob said, "Now, young man, I can't have you talkin' to your mother like that…"

"Yes, well since when do you get to tell me how to talk to my mother anyway? This is between the two of us – so just… eat a biscuit or something and butt out!"

"Henry!" the reprimand came from Betty and his mother at the same time, both thinking they'd never seen him behave so rudely to anyone in the past.

"I'm sorry, Betty. Mom – you've never kept secrets from me before, but I can tell that you are now. Mom, please…? Do we need to find somewhere to talk privately?"

"Actually, Henry," Jim-Bob began again, "I think that your mother has been waiting for me to introduce the conversation. I was just hopin' we could enjoy the breakfast that she and Betty worked so hard to make before gettin' down to the nitty-gritty, but I can see now that we're gonna have to get started right away. There are several things we need to talk about today and I'm not sure where is the best place to start."

"Maybe I should go wash the dishes," Betty said nervously, trying to find the best escape from what was obviously warming up to be a personal conversation.

"No, Betty, a lot of what I have to say concerns you as well, so I wish you would stay."

"Ho-kay then," Betty replied, settling back in her seat.

"Henry, this is really hard for me to say because you know Charlie means the world to me and I've always put her needs before my own. Maybe this is partly my fault for indulgin' her so much in her childhood. Anyway, son, I have to tell you, Charlie's been stringin' you along. You are not the baby's father."

"But – the blood tests. Charlie said that the results were conclusive."

"Sure they were, and there she was usin' the skills she learned at her mother's knee – it isn't a lie if you leave out one or two details, right?" At this, Jim-Bob pulled an official-looking envelope from his pocket and handed it to Henry, "The results _were_ conclusive. Conclusively proving that her baby does not share any major DNA traits with you. She confessed it all to me a few weeks back when she was strugglin' with an attack of conscience. We had a long talk and I think I convinced her to come clean with you about the baby. She said she was hopin' you'd come home for Christmas so she could tell you face-to-face."

"But, I don't understand. Why would she say that I was the father if I wasn't? There was nothing for her to gain by lying to me about that."

"Son, she _wanted_ it to be you. You, at least, seemed interested in bein' a father to the child; you were sacrificin' your own happiness to be a presence in his life. And maybe she hoped that someday there would be a way that the two of you could re-connect. But she told me that she knew right away that it wasn't your baby. She said that you were extremely conscientious about birth control."

Henry nodded but said nothing, still dealing with his conflicting emotions.

"Gabe Farkas was a mistake. They weren't in love with each other, but he was pretty persistent in callin' her when you weren't home and plantin' seeds of doubt in her mind. One day he invited her to dinner and told her that it was pretty plain to him that you were completely captivated by Betty and that Charlie was a fool to stay with you. She argued that you loved her and insisted that Betty was her friend. Then she left the restaurant and went to talk to you at that magazine. When she got there, she stepped off the elevator in time to see the two of you wrapped pretty tightly around each other. So she went back to Gabe and acted on anger and impulse. There was no thinkin' about birth control at that moment, and a few weeks later she started noticin' the signs. Of course, by then you had broken it off and she knew that she didn't want to spend her life with a man she didn't love just because he was the father of her baby. So, she decided to come home."

"Dragging me along with her on some sadistic whim..."

"I think that was mostly for me. She said she was afraid of how I'd react if she came home and told me that she'd gotten pregnant from a wild night with Dr. Rebound. That, at least, with you as the baby's father, I'd feel assured that things were on the up-and-up."

"Great! So, for the past six months I've been studying baby books and nursery rhymes and taking infant CPR classes, but you say I'm not going to be a father after all! I guess I'm supposed to feel relieved now?"

"Henry, of course you're going to be confused…" Lillian started.

"Oh, yes, Mom. _This_ is the secret you've been keeping from me. And just how long have_you_ known?"

"James told me yesterday after we got news of Charlie's accident. He'd been keeping it to himself since Charlie told him because she said she wanted to be the one to tell you. But then there was the crash and we didn't know if she was going to live or die and he couldn't keep it inside any longer…"

"She wanted to be the one to tell me. Do you think it would have been at his high school graduation or at his wedding?"

"Son, I don't blame you for bein' angry. Believe me, though, she was gonna tell you by the end of the week, either by her own will or by mine," Jim-Bob stated. "I gave her until December 31 to do it on her own. For all I know, that's what she was thinkin' about when she went around that corner goin' about 90 miles an hour."

Lillian reached out for his hand, "James, you can't blame yourself for that…"

Jim-Bob squeezed Lillian's hand, took a breath and turned back to Henry, "At any rate, you were at the hospital yesterday and heard it for yourself – Charlie's injury could mean months of brain rehab, and there's no guarantee that she'll ever be the same girl she was 48 hours ago. Once the baby is born, they don't know if she'll be capable of caring for him. When the doctors said that, I saw the look on your face – suddenly you'd be solely responsible for a newborn baby. I knew I'd have to tell you myself that he isn't yours, or the next thing I knew you'd be making plans to pack him up and bring him to New York to live…"

Henry shrugged, but the truth was that Jim-Bob had hit the nail on the head with that one. He had already been mentally rearranging his New York apartment to fit in a crib and changing table.

"But, Lillian," Betty said, finally finding her voice, "you told me yesterday that you'd be the baby's only grandmother… after you had already heard the truth from James."

"Well, I was telling you why I started inviting Charlie and James for dinner. And since then, honestly, I have been feeling very maternal toward Charlie, so…"

"She's given Charlie the most mothering she's had in her life, these past few months. Charlie's own mother walked out the door when she was 12 and we've never seen or heard from her since. Considerin' the trouble she caused before leaving, I never much cared to find out where she'd gone. Truth be told, I never thought I'd trust another woman until I met your mother, Henry."

Henry jumped out of his chair, "Oh god, I don't think I'm ready to hear the rest of this right now."

"Son, I think I'd better just speak my mind now and then I'll leave you to your thoughts. I've been in love with your mother since the moment she smiled at me." Jim-Bob and Lillian shared a warm look. "Yesterday I asked her to be my wife and she made me the luckiest man in town when she said yes. Your mother and I are going to get married on Valentine's Day, and if Charlie isn't able to care for her baby, Lillian and I will raise him as our own."

"Mom, is that what you want? Sleepless nights, midnight feedings, teething, diaper rash? The last time I was home we talked about your retirement package."

"Darling, I don't think I've been so sure of anything in my life."

Henry nodded at his mother, "Well, I think I need a little fresh air. I'm going to take a walk. Betty?"

"Oh! Sure, just let me grab a sweater!" The two of them hurried out of the dining room and moments later the front door closed loudly.

Jim-Bob looked at Lillian, "Well, that went about as well as can be expected. A bit of an abrupt exit though."

"It's okay, he'll talk it out with Betty, she'll help him see the light. You can't blame him for a little jealousy though, it's really been just the two of us his whole life. I never dated anyone seriously when he was young."

Jim-Bob pulled her close, "And look here, you aren't going to date anyone seriously now that he's old either! Just gonna settle in to be my Carpet Queen."

"Ah yes, correct as usual, your majesty!" Lillian laughed, "Just promise me one thing."

"What's that, sugar?"

"That you'll never make me appear in one of your commercials wearing a crown or pointing a scepter at your fine berber remnants."

"If that's what you want, darlin', but I've got to tell you I was looking at some pretty sweet rhinestone crowns in a catalog just a week ago and thinking how nice they'd look on a fine tall woman such as yourself."

"Oh, James Payne, you do go on…" Lillian laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck.

On the front porch, Betty pulled Henry over to look into the dining room window. "They're so happy, Henry, don't you want you mother to have someone to love?"

"I guess," he said, quickly looking away from the sight of his mother and Jim-Bob Payne kissing each other passionately, "but somehow I never really thought of my mother having a personal life."

"Well, it's time you started thinking about it. Now you aren't only going to have a step-father – but, Henry, Charlie's going to be your sister. Now_that_ is weird!"

"And the baby is going to be my nephew or my brother, rather than my son. Maybe we should move to the back hollows of Arkansas, and then it will all make sense."

Betty smiled sadly and said, "It's okay to feel disappointed that you aren't going to be a father. You've been reading about it and thinking about it for so long now, I know he was really taking shape in your mind."

"He really was! Betty, is it weird that I feel like someone died? It's like my heart was ripped out of my chest when Jim-Bob said I wasn't the baby's dad. It took all I had not to cry in front of him." Henry's eyes welled up as he spoke, "All the time I thought that Charlie might die, and later when the doctor said her brain could be permanently damaged, you know, I felt bad for her and sorry for her family but, perversely, I kept coming back to the thought that I was going to have the best of both worlds – I could be a dad and stay with you at the same time."

Betty held Henry close and let him cry on her shoulder. "Someday, you really are going to be a dad, and you'll be the best father the world has ever seen."

Henry smiled a little through his tears and kissed Betty lightly on her cheek, "When that day comes, I hope the baby will have your eyes"

"Great, that means he'll be in glasses by the time he's in Kindergarten!" Betty smiled. Henry was officially liberated from the hold Charlie had over him – he'd be able to stay in New York far as long as he wanted, and she hoped he'd want to stay there with her forever.

_**A/N The End! Thank you to my friends at i-c for your support along the way while I wrote my first-ever multi-chapter fic. I hope you enjoyed it!**_


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